More Than The Usual Suspects Come To Oshkosh To Discuss
Innovation

By Maxine Scheer

One of the things I enjoy the most about AirVenture is seeing
innovation in progress. While many eyes will be positioned 45
degrees above the horizon from Runway 18-36 at Whittman Regional
Airport, my attention will be drawn to discovering the people and
events that are a bit outside the norm of the fantastic airshows
and aviation celebrities. This year, I believe, will be quite
exciting as movers and shakers that can propel our economy (not
just our aircraft) will be presenting their ideas at AirVenture and
communicating aviation's visions for innovation and the emerging
CleanTech economy.

Artist's Concept CAFE Electric Airplane

Most directly applicable to the CleanTech interests of attendees
at AirVenture, will be in the area of electric-powered fixed and
rotor-winged aircraft. Of specific interest is a day-long World
Electric Aircraft Symposium, on Friday, July 30th and daily themed
forums at the Aviation Learning Center, both sponsored by General
Electric Corporation.

As reported in ANN's June 6, 2010 announcement, the Electric
Aircraft Symposium's agenda includes many EAA pioneers. The
symposium will also feature AirVenture newcomers that include Dr.
Don Hillebrand, Director of the Department of Energy's (DOE)
Argonne National Laboratory's Center for Transportation Research,
and Jeffrey JB Straubel, co-founder of Tesla Motors.

Dr. Hillebrand will be talking about DOE research in hybrid and
electric vehicles and how this work translates to aircraft. JB
Straubel, Tesla's Chief Technology Officer (CTO), will be leading a
discussion from the perspective of an entrepreneur and engineer who
has designed and built both electric aircraft and a new electric
sport car, the Tesla Roadster.

EAA notes on their website that the Electric Aircraft Symposium
is free, but requires advanced registration. The event is currently
scheduled in the Founders Wing of the EAA AirVenture Museum and
based on recent emails with EAA officials, the symposium is quickly
reaching capacity.

While officials from DOE might not
be regulars at AirVenture, let's hope they return with future
announcements about investments in aviation related programs,
companies and small business grants. DOE received over $30 billion
from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and with
legislated capacity for loan guarantees and other incentives, is
the lead federal agency responsible for fueling significant
momentum in creating growth for hundreds of thousands of
green-collar jobs throughout the Nation.

DOE is also using aviation as a tool for an education program,
the Real World Design Challenge, announced at AirVenture in
2008. Over the past two years, DOE's Office of Science &
Technology has partnered with Parametric Technology Corporation,
Cessna, and the FAA in developing aviation-themed challenges. ANN
anticipates hearing more about this DOE challenge during
AirVenture.

According to the Census Bureau, in each of the previous three
economic recoveries, small employers accounted for the vast
majority of new jobs - the bulk of them coming from firms with
fewer than 20 workers. EAA enthusiasts bring a long list of
examples of some of the greatest ideas born in a garage, or should
we say, a hangar, that resulted in the formation of small
businesses. The recovery from this recent "Great Recession" has
proven a challenge to many small businesses. To help entrepreneurs
and small businesses grow, a University of Wisconsin based economic
development program, AeroInnovate, is returning to Oshkosh after
its debut in 2009, to showcase entrepreneurs at AirVenture.

Yuneec Electric Airplane

AeroInnovate will be hosting three events that include a forum
on preparing successful business plans, a discussion about sources
of entrepreneurial funding, and a "Pitch and Mingle", which at last
year's inaugural event was estimated to draw over 80 investors and
entrepreneurs. It will be interesting to see what kind of progress
has been made and if there are any new ideas presented for
supporting growth of aviation-related small businesses.

The commercialization of space exploration is another area with
parallels to both aviation and energy. Dating back to the 1970's,
NASA was looking at how space-based infrastructure could capture
solar energy and transmit it back to Earth. This idea has some
renewed momentum. In April 2009, California's biggest energy
utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, announced a deal to purchase
200 megawatts of electricity from a California based startup,
Solaren, that anticipates capacity to beam space-based solar power
down to Earth beginning in 2016. As noted by the National Space
Society, there are currently four American commercial companies
seeking capital to make space solar a reality: Solaren, the Space
Island Group, Space Energy Inc, and Managed Energy Technologies
LLC. While space-based solar power is not yet on the agenda for
AirVenture 2010, I am curious to hear reports on Commercial Space,
Our Future Opportunities and An Engineering Critique of Climate
Science, two of the many forums to be presented by EAA veteran and
aviation pioneer, Burt Rutan.